Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. – Matthew 24:42
"Watch out!”
What do you think about when you hear that? You probably think that something is about to happen, and you had better be alert. If you see your children in danger, you shout, “Watch out!” You want them to stop, look, and listen.
An event is coming which will separate those who are watching spiritually from those who are not, and our focus verse is Jesus’ warning about that event. In Hebrews 9:28, the writer said, “Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time.” The ones who see His return will be the ones who are watching for it.
We need to be watching for the Lord’s coming in three ways. First, we need to look within. We must watch to make sure our hearts are kept in a condition that we will be able to go with the saints when Jesus returns. Let God’s mirror of truth look right down inside to find out if we are where God wants us to be when Jesus comes. If our hearts are not right, we need to pray until God makes them right.
The second way to watch is by looking into the Word of God, because His Word enlightens our eyes. Perusing the pages of God’s Word will stimulate our spiritual eyesight, allowing us to see exactly what our role will be in the Lord’s return. Study of the Bible is one way to watch.
Finally, we must look at the events that are happening in the world today—we take notice of the fact that things are happening just the way God said they would. God’s Word reveals events in the future, and we can see the fulfillments of those very prophecies all around us. Being aware of these fulfillments will remind us that the yet unfulfilled prophesies of the Lord’s Second Coming are also true, and that they are quickly approaching.
If we watch in these three ways, and pray, we will be ready when the Lord comes for His own.